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Write Yourself: Creative Writing and Personal Development (Writing for Therapy Or Personal Development) PDF

290 Pages·2011·1.02 MB·english
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Write Yourself Writing for Therapy or Personal Development Series Edited by Gillie Bolton Writing for Therapy or Personal Development, a foundation library to a rapidly developing field, covers the theory and practice of key areas. Clearly exemplified, engaging and accessible, the series is appropriate for therapeutic, healthcare, or creative writing practitioners and facilitators, and for individual writers or courses. other books in the series Writing Routes A Resource Handbook of Therapeutic Writing Edited by Gillie Bolton, Victoria Field and Kate Thompson ISBN 978 1 84905 107 1 Poetry and Story Therapy The Healing Power of Creative Expression Geri Giebel Chavis ISBN 978 1 84905 832 2 Therapeutic Journal Writing An Introduction for Professionals Kate Thompson ISBN 978 1 84310 690 6 Writing Works A Resource Handbook for Therapeutic Writing Workshops and Activities Edited by Gillie Bolton, Victoria Field and Kate Thompson ISBN 978 1 84310 468 1 by the same author Dying, Bereavement and Healing Arts Edited by Gille Bolton Foreword by Baroness Professor Ilora Finlay of Llandaff ISBN 978 1 84310 516 9 The Therapeutic Potential of Creative Writing Writing Myself Gillie Bolton Foreword by Sir Kenneth Calman ISBN 978 1 85302 599 0 Write Yourself Creative Writing and Personal Development Gillie Bolton foreword by Nicholas f. Mazza Jessica Kingsley Publishers London and Philadelphia First published in 2011 by Jessica Kingsley Publishers 116 Pentonville Road London N1 9JB, UK and 400 Market Street, Suite 400 Philadelphia, PA 19106, USA www.jkp.com Copyright © Gillie Bolton 2011 Foreword copyright © Nicholas F. Mazza 2011 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form (including photocopying or storing it in any medium by electronic means and whether or not transiently or incidentally to some other use of this publication) without the written permission of the copyright owner except in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 or under the terms of a licence issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency Ltd, Saffron House, 6–10 Kirby Street, London EC1N 8TS. Applications for the copyright owner’s written permission to reproduce any part of this publication should be addressed to the publisher. Warning: The doing of an unauthorised act in relation to a copyright work may result in both a civil claim for damages and criminal prosecution. Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data A CIP catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library ISBN 978 1 84905 110 1 ISBN pdf eBook 978 0 85700 3 089  Contents Foreword by Nicholas F. Mazza 7 Acknowledgements 9 Preface 11 Part One: Creative Personal Writing – What, Why, How, Who, When, Where 1. Becoming Our Own Shaman: Introduction to Therapeutic Creative Writing 17 2. ‘A Story of Gaining Understanding and Insight’: How to Begin 31 3. ‘I Got in Touch with Myself’: Values, Principles, Practice 50 Part Two: Writing with Specific Groups 4. ‘Secrets Kept Safe and Sound’: Children Writing 67 5. ‘Writing is a Way of Saying Things I Can’t Say’: Writing with the Very Sick 86 6. ‘Keep Taking the Words’: Writing to Help with Anxiety, Depression and Mental Health 99 7. ‘Follow the Wings of the Imagination’: Writing and Therapy or Counselling 115 8. ‘Writing Gives Us Wings so We Can Fly’: Writing in Substance and Alcohol Abuse Treatment 133 9. ‘Ideas Hunt Me, Catch Me, Make Me Write’: Writing for Victims of Torture, Refugees and Asylum Seekers 152 10. ‘A Craft to Take You Through Storms, and Keep You Still’: Writing in Prison 169 11. Understanding Misunderstanding: Reflective Writing for Professional Development 186 Part Three: How to Run Groups; Conclusion 12. Mystery and Mastery: Running Therapeutic Creative Writing Groups 211 13. ‘It Helped Me Get Involved with Myself’: Running Residential Writing Groups 232 14. ‘Tread Softly Because You Tread on My Dreams’ (Yeats 1974): Conclusion. A Conversation between Juhani Ihanus and Gillie Bolton 252 Appendix: Writing Exercises by Theme 270 References 275 Subject Index 283 Author Index 286  Foreword Sometimes we write to survive, perhaps to gain some sense of control during turbulent times. Sometimes we write to remember, perhaps to cope with life transitions that always involve loss. Sometimes we write for discovery, perhaps inspired by person or place and seeking to grow. Sometimes we just write. In this remarkable book, through selected research, practitioner/scholar contributions, vignettes and compelling exercises, the reader has the opportunity to prevail in affirming what matters most, the human connection to person, place and spirit. The place of writing in therapeutic, educational and personal growth capacities has received significant attention in the expressive arts therapies, most notably poetry therapy, which focuses on language, symbol and story. Creative and f ocused writing has also received attention as a therapeutic agent in a number of clinical theories, particularly narrative, humanistic and cognitive-behavioural approaches to practice. Beyond professional capacities, survivors of community tragedies have often turned to writing and art as an emotional release, a way of connecting with each other, and honouring the memory of deceased loved ones. Gillie Bolton, drawing upon her more than 25 years of experience in developing reflective and therapeutic writing, has demonstrated a keen understanding of the process and power of creative and expressive writing to effect growth and healing. Other scholars in the allied helping and educational professions have provided qualitative and quantitative evidence on the health aspects (as well as the dangers) of expressive writing. Building on selected sources of support in the literature, 7 8 Write Yourself Bolton’s primary focus is on the applied (practical) aspects of writing for personal development. Identifying and discussing multiple writing forms (e.g. poetry, fiction, blogs, autobiography), this book covers a wide range of client concerns, settings and practice modalities (individual, group, community). The practical elements and theoretical/philosophical discussion provided in this book serve to advance the reader’s continued learning and growth. For those involved in research, the precise exercises and practice descriptions can be subjected to disciplined investigation. For the therapist and educator, the many methods and guidelines add to his or her professional repertoire and serve as a reminder of the importance of critical and creative thinking. For the writer/poet, all of the above and more. This book by Gillie Bolton is a celebration and call to the place of writing (both personally and professionally) in our life journey. Gratefully Unfinished is the common element in creative writing, therapy, education and community development. A special thanks to Gillie Bolton for providing another compelling reminder to keep on responding to and creating literature. We keep on facing life changes. We keep on learning. It’s a poetic approach to life. We keep on... Don’t try to absorb this book at one time. Go back and keep on… Nicholas F. Mazza Dean and Patricia V. Vance Professor of Social Work College of Social Work, The Florida State University

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Most books are stored in the elastic cloud where traffic is expensive. For this reason, we have a limit on daily download.